Amazed by MAZE

Apr 18 2011

London is one of our favourite cities in the world and, as it’s no secret we’re big foodies at Fathom Co, we always enjoy our dining adventures while there. On our radar this trip was Gordon Ramsay’s MAZE. The restaurant is discreetly hidden in an older brick building on Grosvenor Square. But once inside it’s nothing but modern, clean lines courtesy of David Rockwell.

Foregoing a drink at the bar – which was buzzing btw – we sipped Ayala champagne and gazed over the menu. MAZE offers a tasting menu with a suggestion to order a minimum of 7 courses. As someone who follows a gluten free diet and is a self-professed “flexitarian” (a term I love to throw around thanks to being introduced to it by my friend Lisa), I decided to order the vegetarian tasting menu.

What happened next was pure magic. Ramsay’s tasting menu had my mouth doing back flips and high kicks. Let me assure you, despite what anyone says about Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchenpersona, the man knows his food. This is not a meal you passively eat while chatting with your dining companion. Quite the opposite: you can’t help but become fully engaged. Ramsay’s sheer genius is he knows how to wake up your senses like no other – he grabs you by the shirt collars and doesn’t let go. Coupled with amazing wines, fabulous service (albeit a little too rushed when you’re in the first seating) and an invitation to enjoy a kitchen tour* after our meal, MAZE was everything we hoped it would be – and definitely merits a return. (*Yes I asked whether Gordon actually cooks on the line when he visits MAZE – the answer: “Of course madam.”)